Lights Camera Action
by all.those.stars
Summary: "Though she be but little, she is fierce." - Shakespeare / William Darcy is a socially awkward playwright. Elizabeth Bennet is an actress with an attitude. Cue the lights.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own _Pride and Prejudice_.

Author's Note: This is a modern adaptation of _Pride and Prejudice_. I hope you enjoy, and please review!

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><p>Elizabeth Bennet slipped out of her small apartment and headed for the street. Running always helped clear her mind. She had been a track star in high school, before she decided she loved acting. Her mother had nearly had a heart attack when she decided to pack up from her small town in Iowa and move to the big city.<p>

Jane, her best friend and a sophomore at the local community college, had decided to join her, and had scored a need based scholarship to Columbia. Academics had never been Lizzie's strong suit, and she was paying her way through NYU, waitressing at a small diner that had a retro feel, and auditioning for parts whenever she could.

Unfortunately, most casting directors were unimpressed with her 5'2 height, shoulder length brown hair, and green eyes. The smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks weren't helping matters. Jane had gotten the good looks, with long blonde curls, tan skin, and big brown eyes. Columbia had been good to her; she was in the top of her class, and she had an amazing internship at a business near their apartment.

Lizzie shook her head and ran a little faster down the street. New York was bustling, as always, and she was startled from her thoughts when she heard her name being called. She smiled as her friend, Carly, jogged toward her. "Hey Lizzie! Did you hear about the party tomorrow?"

Lizzie shook her head. "Sorry, Carly, but I think I'll pass anyway."

"It's not a _party_ party, it's hosted by the drama department! Apparently there will be a bunch of directors and playwrights. This could be a huge opportunity!"

"I think I can live without meeting a lot of people with inflated egos and fat paychecks."

"Lizzie! Please come! I promise you can leave if you get too bored."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. What time, and what do I have to wear?"

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><p>William Darcy sat hunched over his computer, frantically typing. His face was furrowed in concentration. Surrounding him were several cups of coffee, stacks of jumbled papers, and a plate that may have once held pizza.<p>

"Will!" a voice broke into his thoughts, along with a pounding on the door. "It's Charlie, Will. Open up!"

William cracked his back as he stood slowly, making his way over to the door. "What is it, Bingley?"

Charles Bingley, longtime friend of Will's, pushed his way into the messy apartment. "Will, you have the party in thirty minutes!"

Will groaned blearily. "What party?"

"The one at NYU… that my father sponsored… the one that you promised you'd attend! Come'on, Darce, get dressed!"

"I'm in the middle of something!"

"Is it important?" Darcy didn't answer. "I thought not. Let's go!"

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><p>Elizabeth, Jane, and Carly walked into the ballroom together. The party was being held in a posh hotel in Manhattan, and it was clearly a formal affair. The room was stunning; it sported marble floors and glittering chandeliers. The windows were draped in rich brocade curtains, and the towering columns gleamed in the soft lighting.<p>

Perhaps even more entrancing were the people themselves. People in the acting profession generally make a point of looking their best, and tonight, the students from New York University had outdone themselves. Men in tuxedos danced with young ladies in floor length dresses, and faculty lined the walls, each dressed to the nines.

Jane had helped Elizabeth choose her dress, a classy black number, while Jane herself wore a deep red gown. Carly had picked a plum strapless concoction, which showed off her olive complexion and dark hair. Each girl was soon asked to dance, and they parted ways.

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><p>Darcy and Charlie entered at least forty minutes late, Darcy oblivious, and Charles self conscious as they walked inside. Darcy was immediately pulled into conversation with one of his colleagues, while Charlie decided to dance.<p>

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><p>"… but I've been keeping you too long, Darcy. I'm sure you wanted to dance with one of the wannabes." Caroline Woods sneered.<p>

"Not hardly." Darcy replied, glancing at the girls nearest him. Wary of the "wannabes," but still desperate to get away from Caroline, he offered to get punch, and walked quickly away before she had a chance to respond. Caroline, a semi-famous actress, had been trying to get a part in one of his plays for months. Darcy knew many playwrights bowed out after writing the play, but Darcy was involved with every step of his plays, from casting to costumes, at least with the premiere performance.

At the dessert table, he found Charlie talking animatedly with a tall, blonde in a crimson gown. "Charlie, it's ten o'clock. Can I go now?"

Charlie looked up, smiling. "Darcy, this is Jane Everret. Jane, this stick in the mud is my best friend, Will Darcy."

Darcy nodded quickly at Jane before turning back to Charlie. "Really, Charles, I'm leaving."

"But you haven't danced at all!"

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><p>"Who hasn't danced?" Lizzie asked, skipping up to Jane and the two men she was talking to. The tall, dark-haired one turned around and gave her a disdainful stare.<p>

"Who are you?"

"Darcy!" Bingley exclaimed.

"Elizabeth Bennet, at your service. Who are you?"

"Lizzie!" Jane looked shocked. "Don't be rude!"

"He was rude first!"

Darcy rolled his eyes. "This is why I want to leave, Bingley. If you don't care about wallowing in a room full of has-beens and wannabes, that is fine with me. I'm calling a cab."

"Wait - Darcy!" Will turned on his heel and left the ballroom.

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><p>"What a little pick!" Lizzie laughed in the cab with Jane and Carly.<p>

"I know! I can hardly believe he's friends with Charlie. But maybe he was just nervous?"

Carly giggled, "You just want to see the best in everyone, Jane. You're too nice for your own good."

"I think that we should make a toast to Mr. Darcy!"

"We don't have drinks, and none of us drink anyway, Liz."

"I have a water bottle. To Mr. Darcy, may be stay stuck up and miserable for the rest of his life if it so pleases him!"

"To Mr. Darcy!"

"To Darcy!"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own _Pride and Prejudice_.

Author's Note: Thank you all for the lovely reviews so far! I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

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><p>Lizzie groaned as she rolled out of bed the next day. 5:00am was entirely too early. She slunk into the bathroom, where after showering, brushing her hair and teeth, and pulling on a t-shirt and a soft pair of blue jeans, she moved to the kitchen. Jane stumbled in a little later, still in her pajamas.<p>

"Liz? Why are you up?" she asked, squinting in the general direction of her friend.

"Rob called. He needs me to take morning shift for a few days."

"Why didn't you tell him no?"

"I skip out on work all the time for auditions. I'm lucky to have this job. If Rob needs me in the morning, I'm going."

"Ok, well, I'm going back to bed. I don't have a class until eleven."

"See you later," Lizzie mumbled into her cup of coffee.

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><p>Howard's Diner was already bustling when Lizzie arrived. It was a small, nostalgic restaurant in Brooklyn, with vinyl booths, old records on the walls, and chrome accents. Thankfully, the waitresses weren't required to wear poodle skirts. Howard's had a reputation for the best pancakes in town, with a side of a heart attack by bacon. It was too far away from NYU to be practical as a job for Lizzie, but she loved the place.<p>

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><p>"Lizzie! Finish that table in the corner, and then you can go!" "Thanks, Rob!" Elizabeth yelled back, wiping down said table and restocking the napkin and straw basket.<p>

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><p>She jumped into the subway heading uptown, hoping to meet Carly for lunch. Lizzie quickly edged into a seat a man had just vacated, plopping down and crossing her arms smugly. It was one of the first things she learned when she came to New York. If you want a seat, you must sit - quickly and without regard to the questionable characters on either side of you. Today the subway was more crowded than usual, and Lizzie hardly noticed when two new men entered the car. She did notice, however, when she heard Charlie Bingley's distinctive voice above the quiet murmurs of the others in the train car.<p>

"Will, don't you think you were a little rude last night?"

"No."

"Come'on, Lizzie didn't do anything to you."

"She's just another aspiring actress in a city that is filled to the brim with people trying to achieve fame and fortune without any real talent at all."

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"You aren't the one who had to sit all morning listening to auditions from idiots! It's enough to make one want to quit the business altogether."

Bingley scoffed, "If I had a dollar for every time you said that…"

Lizzie smirked a little to herself as the train sputtered to a halt. She stood quickly and got off, entering the dingy subway station. Charlie and Will were a little ways ahead, and she jogged to catch up.

"Charlie! Charlie, wait up!"

Charlie turned and smiled (Elizabeth was beginning to think he never stopped). "Elizabeth! Hi!" he turned to Darcy, "Uh, Will, you remember Elizabeth Bennet, right?"

Lizzie jumped in before he had a chance to answer. "I'm sure he doesn't remember little old me. After all, I'm just another aspiring actress… no real talent at all." Darcy's eyes widened; Lizzie grinned and flounced away. "See you later, Charlie!"

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><p>Darcy groaned and rubbed his temple. His new play wasn't going well; they hadn't been able to find an actress to fill the part of the main character, and the added stress from Charlie after their encounter with Elizabeth Bennet had not helped matters. After all, it wasn't his fault she was eavesdropping. He was giving serious thought to seeing her again just to apologize and get Charlie off his back. He was pulled out of his thoughts when the phone rang.<p>

"Will? It's Charlie. Listen, I know you've got all that stuff with your play going on, but I was wondering if you'd like a break? Jane's going to a play that Elizabeth's drama department is putting on, and Liz is in it. Will you come?"

"Charles, I'm busy, and I hardly think you and Jane want me along for your date."

"Oh, no! See, we're going out for dinner after with Lizzie, and…"

"So, you're actually using me so that Elizabeth doesn't feel like a third wheel."

"Well, yes, but I think you'll really enjoy it."

Darcy sighed heavily. "Fine."

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><p>Lizzie sat at the table in the café across from Carly, resting her head on her heads. "I just don't get him at all. I know I shouldn't even care, but Carly, except for the parts I've gotten in plays at school, I haven't had a successful audition in months! Maybe I really don't have talent!"<p>

Carly rolled her eyes at her friend. "Are you done with your pity party yet? Because I think you have a play tonight that you need to get ready for, and I think you also know that if you had enough talent to get accepted to NYU, you're pretty much the opposite of not talented."

Lizzie grinned. "Okay, okay. I'm over it. Let's go get ready - you're running lights tonight, right?"

"Yep. Requirement for the major, even though all I plan to do when I graduate is design costumes." They both stood up, tossing down a few bills on the table and then walking out onto the busy sidewalks of New York City. It was one of the things Lizzie loved about New York. There were so many people, always moving, always living. She loved being a part of it all.

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><p>Lizzie sat backstage, patiently waiting while a makeup artist carefully applied eye-shadow to her lids and heavy blush to her cheeks. Her costume and hair were already finished, and they were minutes away from the opening scene. Jessie, the makeup artist, smiled happily.<p>

"Very pretty, as always, Liz."

"Thanks, Jessie." Lizzie replied reaching over to grab a water bottle of a nearby refreshment table. She sipped on it while trying to calm her nerves. Then the lights in the main theatre went down, and she stood slowly, walking over to where a stage hand was gesturing.

"It's showtime."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I am so sorry for the absurdly long wait on this chapter! I have not disappeared; I promise! Hopefully, I will get back on my once a week updating schedule. I update on weekends, so it could be Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Thank you all for the lovely reviews and for your patience.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Pride and Prejudice_.

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><p>Darcy followed Charlie and Jane into the theater. The lights had already been dimmed - they'd been running a little late. They edged into their seats and turned toward the stage. A bright light illuminated center stage. Elizabeth Bennet was standing there, looking surprisingly pretty. Darcy mentally shook himself.<p>

The play was a production written by one of the students at the college, but actually very funny, and Darcy found himself laughing along with the other members of the audience. Elizabeth had a fairly substantial role, although she was not the lead, and Darcy was mildly shocked to discover that she could act - quite well, in fact. She delivered her lines with grace and without the over exaggeration so typical of amateur acting.

Her features, which at first had seemed plain to him, now reminded him of a classic beauty or an old Hollywood film star. Darcy unconsciously focused all his attention on her for the rest of the production, watching the graceful way she moved across the stage, the gentle smirk that played upon her lips, the way her costume swished as she turned…

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><p>Lizzie ran off the stage after it was over, smiling happily. The play had gone over well, and she felt she had performed as well as she possibly could have.<p>

Jessie skipped up to her, chattering about the male lead as she helped Elizabeth out of the costume. "Are you even listening to me? I'm telling you - he's a catch. He's sure to go far. He's even starring in a Broadway musical soon!" Jessie cried, tossing Lizzie her dress and motioning for Lizzie to go behind the dressing screen at the back of the room.

"I doubt that, Jessie. You've been listening to too many rumors," Lizzie laughed, sliding the black sheath dress over her head. "Anyway, I've got to run; Jane and her boyfriend and I are going over to Adam's tonight."

"Since when can you pay for Adam's?" Jessie snarked from the dressing table, where she was applying another coat of eyeliner. Her dark hair had neon highlights shooting out from under her bangs, and her eyes, glowing purple from contacts, grinned mischievously. Jess was one of Lizzie's best friends, even if she was a bit too rebellious at times.

"Charlie's paying, thank goodness." Lizzie remarked, squeezing her feet into a pair of heels with a grunt.

"Oh - lucky you, then. Have fun living it up without me." Jessie said sarcastically.

"See you tomorrow." Lizzie said, rolling her eyes and pulling her jacket around her.

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><p>The wind outside was brisk and Lizzie walked hurriedly towards the restaurant. Jane and Charlie were already inside. She stepped through the gleaming glass doors and looked around with a gasp. A gleaming wood floor was set off by dark red walls. Each table was nestled in its own alcove. Lizzie felt for a moment as if she were a true Broadway star, coming to a fancy restaurant after opening night. The fantasy was quickly ruined, however, when she caught sight of Darcy sharing the booth with Jane and Charlie.<p>

"Hello, everyone," she murmured quickly, slipping into the seat beside Darcy.

"Lizzie!" Jane exclaimed. "You were fantastic!"

"It was great, Lizzie. Five stars!" laughed Charlie.

Darcy sat silently beside her, picking at a buttered roll.

"Thanks," Lizzie replied, fidgeting slightly. A waiter soon arrived to take their orders. Charlie and Jane decided to split a pasta dish, Lizzie ordered a salad, and Darcy ordered a steak. Jane and Charlie kept the conversation going, even though Darcy seemed to have decided to sulk in the corner of the booth all evening, and Lizzie was tired and ready to leave. She felt that her fun night out had been spoiled with the appearance of Darcy.

As soon as the check came, Lizzie stood and excused herself. "I've got to run - 8am classes. Thanks so much Charlie; I had fun." She nodded once to Darcy and turned away.

"Wait!" Lizzie looked back to see Darcy rising from his seat. "Err -Let me walk you to your car," he stammered, walking towards her.

"Oh, I'm just walking down to the subway station," she replied quickly.

"I'll walk you there, then," he said, shrugging on his jacket, a simple black trench.

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><p>They walked silently; Lizzie pulling nervously at her hair and Darcy studiously avoiding eye contact.<p>

"Well, thanks for that," Lizzie said as the subway stop came into view. "I think I can walk from here."

"Right, well. I just wanted to say - well, I," Darcy fumbled, looking down.

"Spit it out, man!" Lizzie laughed, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken like that at the party," Darcy muttered, still not meeting her eyes.

"What?" Lizzie glanced up, shocked.

"I said I'm sorry. Are you deaf?" he snapped. The curious stares they kept getting from passerby only made his mood worse, and he was already uncomfortable with the idea of apologizing.

Lizzie raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure Charlie didn't put you up to this?" She rolled her eyes, "I think I could do without the forced apology." She spun on her heel and fled into the station, leaving Darcy staring open mouthed behind her.

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><p>Darcy slammed the door to his apartment angrily. His phone was flashing a red light - probably a message from Charlie. Darcy ignored it and flipped on the light. His apartment was messy, with discarded scripts lying crumbled on nearly every surface. He sat down, intending to work on his play, before quickly giving up.<p>

What was wrong with the girl? He jumped up and began to pace across the smooth hardwood floor. He'd been trying to make things right, and the he'd messed up even worse. Sighing, he sunk back into a chair. She had been right, of course. He had been trying to get Charlie off his back, and even though he had felt his comments were justified at the time, he knew they were rude.

Darcy had never done well in social situations, and he'd never cared to change that, until now. Now, when this strange girl with bright eyes and freckles seemed to be taking over his every thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own _Pride and Prejudice_.

Author's Note: I realize that I've spent along time away from this story. I could say it's because of how hectic my life has gotten lately, but truly, I think I just got discouraged. Over 300 people read the last chapter, but I didn't get a single review. I let that get to me, but I'm back now. This is a bit of a filler chapter. The story will be interspersed with several chapters like these: blog entries, newspaper articles, and the like. Let me know what you think!

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><p><em>Edwin McKenzie's Blog - All Things Theatre at NYU<em>

_Well, folks, it seems like we've got a bit of a rising star on our hands… Joshua Blake, a student at NYU, has been noted as "promising talent" by his teachers, and I must admit, his performance last Friday night in Money and Riches was superb. He played the lead, a small town school teacher trying to do right by his students while fighting off the town council's endeavors to close down the school. For me, though, the true breakout star was Elizabeth Bennett, a sophomore, who played one of the older students. She brought life to the character - a character who, on paper, seemed flat and nonessential. I was very impressed, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from her. _

_On another note, it looks like William Darcy (yes - that Will Darcy, the brilliant, young playwright some are calling the Shakespeare of his day) has agreed to teach a small seminar class at NYU. I, for one, cannot wait to attend… and speaking of Mr. Darcy, his latest play, scheduled to debut three months from now, is still lacking a female lead… Curious, is it not? _

_Well, that's all for today - signing off, this is Edwin McKenzie. _


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Pride and Prejudice.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait! Thank you for all of your kind and encouraging reviews. They have been such a blessing to me. I hope you enjoy the next installment. Any guesses on which character is Wickham? Or Kitty?

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><p>Jane burst out laughing when she walked through the door of their small, NYC apartment to find the television blaring a distinctive theme song and her roommate lying upside down and nearly falling off of the couch.<p>

"'ello, Jane!" Elizabeth called gleefully from her inverted position.

"Ummm, hello, Lizzie. What are you doing?"

"I'm getting in the part! Method acting, and all that," Lizzie replied, maintaining an obviously fake British accent.

There was a small pause before Jane responded, "Okay, I'll bite. What part?"

"I've decided that I'm sending an audition tape in to the BBC. I want to be The Doctor's next companion!"

"Lizzie, you want to be a stage actress," Jane responded dryly.

"Stage, smage. Broadway can't compare to all of time and space!" Lizzie laughed, turning red as she finally pulled herself back up into a seated position.

"Very true," Jane conceded, giggling along with Lizzie. "But why were you falling off of the couch?"

"Oh. I dropped my pen. I'm actually filling out the forms to attend Darcy's seminar. He's only accepting ten students."

"I thought you hated Darcy. Why are you trying to get into his seminar?"

"Because it's an incredible opportunity; everyone who attends the seminar is allowed to audition for his new play. You know he never does open auditions. This could be my big break."

"You really think you're going to survive a whole week in an acting seminar with the man?"

"Absolutely. I'm an actress, remember?"

Jane only rolled her eyes before moving into the kitchen to fix a snack.

"What? You don't believe me? That's an insult to my acting skills!"

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><p>Darcy nearly spat out his coffee as he glanced over the applicant's name on the next form out of the hundreds that had been submitted for his seminar.<p>

So far, he had chosen seven students: Joshua Blake, the talented lead in the play he had seen with Jane and Charles, Owen Milroy, a freshman from London with an impressive resume, Jess Worth, a spunky makeup artist whose application had intrigued him, Alex Daniels, another freshman, Juliet Davies, a sophomore opera major, Hannah Rawlings, a senior who had already had a minor role on Broadway, and Kyle Matthews, a set design major who showed major talent.

Darcy added Elizabeth Bennet to the list immediately after perusing her short, quirky essay submission and fairly standard resume. Three days later, he had added his final two students, an Amy Jones and Walter Faring, and he began to throw together the coursework he had prepared for his intense, weeklong seminar at NYU.

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><p>Charles Bingley exited the café in a hurry, anxious to catch the next train before he missed his dinner with his agent. Charles was a model by trade, although his father's trust fund more than negated the need for him to work. However, his bright coppery blond hair and sharp grey eyes had caught the attention of his current agent, Sally Gardner, just as he'd graduated with a degree in business and partying. Modeling had kept him busy, and it was fun. He'd missed his last meeting with Sally, and although she was a softie at heart, things were bound to get ugly if he blew her off again.<p>

Unfortunately, he swung the coffee shop door open right as someone else was trying to enter, slamming into the smaller form and causing the young women, and his espresso, to go flying. The startled eyes of Jane looked up at him from a tangle of limbs and soaking wet clothing.

"Jane! I am so, so, sorry! Here, let me help you up. Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to – I just wasn't looking where I was going. Which is totally my fault, I know. I'm-"

Jane laughed, brushing herself off as she stood up. "Charlie, I'm fine. I promise. It was an accident."

"But – I should have been watching where I was going and I am just so sorry. Can I take you out to lunch to make up for it?"

Jane looked up from where she had been wiping at her shirt, surprised. "Well, I'd love to, but Charlie, honestly, don't feel like you need to..."

"It's not a big deal. In fact, if you're not busy, I was about to head uptown to meet my agent for lunch if you'd like to come."

"Well, if you're sure."

"I insist!" Charles said quickly, looping her arm with his.

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><p>About an hour later, Jane sat laughing with Sally and Charlie at a small bistro in the city. Sally was relating a story from one of Charlie's earlier attempts at modeling, and Charlie, although turning a bit red around the ears, was chuckling along good naturedly. It was this lighthearted scene that Darcy walked in on.<p>

"Charlie?"

"Darcy! Hi! You remember Jane, right?"

Darcy shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, hello, Jane, Sally. Good to see you again."

"Pull up a chair! Join us!" Charlie said enthusiastically.

"Actually, I was just about to meet with Caroline Woods."

Charlie raised his eyebrow. "Really?"

"I thought that maybe, if I agreed to meet with her, she'd-"

"Leave you alone?" Charlie interrupted. "Hardly. Anyway, I think I see her coming in now."

"You can both sit with us, and we'll protect you from the scary lady," Sally said, laughing.

Caroline strutted towards them, sporting an obscenely tight black dress and neon, Prada heels. Her "hip" super short black hair cut did nothing for her already angular face, and the amount of makeup she wore made her resemble a clown.

"Hello, darlings. Darcy, I thought we were spending time alone?"

Darcy cleared his throat nervously. "Actually, Caroline, I didn't think you'd mind. This is Sally, Charlie, and Jane."

"And Lizzie!" called a voice from behind. Darcy swung around to see Elizabeth Bennet, dressed in a bright red coat, jeans, and boots, walking toward their now overcrowded table.

"Lizzie!" Jane cried, standing up and hugging her friend.

"What happened to you?" Lizzie said, laughing as she took in the coffee colored stains covering Jane's clothes.

"Just a little accident," Jane replied, smiling at Charlie.

"So, is there a particular reason you're all huddled up at my favorite lunch spot?" Lizzie asked, glancing around the table before her gaze fell on Caroline and Sally. "Sorry, I don't think we've met. I'm Lizzie Bennet, Jane's roommate."

Sally responded with a warm smile. "Sally Gardener."

Caroline smirked and threw a hand on Darcy's shoulder. "I'm Caroline Woods. I'm sure you've heard of me. I'm actually here to speak to William here about his new play."

Lizzie widened her eyes. "Oh, that's right! I just got the email today. Thanks for accepting me, Darcy."

Darcy nodded, while Caroline narrowed her eyes. "Accepted you for what?"

"Oh, his acting seminar at NYU."

Caroline smiled condescendingly. "Oh, you're a student! If I were still a student, I would, of course, have gotten accepted. I have all of the qualities necessary to be star in showbiz today."

At this, even Jane snickered a little, but it was Sally who finally asked, "And what are the qualities that you find so important?"

"Well, and I'm sure you'll agree, Darcy, that a true stage actress must be classically trained in both music and ballet. She must be able to project her voice and use at least seven different accents. She should also have an air of greatness about her – something truly special. I'm sure you can all see these qualities reflected in the top actresses of our day, myself included, of course."

Lizzie snorted, "Really? That's how you see yourself? I have never met a single actress who was all the things you described, excluding your oh-so-talented-self, of course."

"Lizzie, be nice!" Jane cried. Charlie had already begun laughing, and a hint of a smile was forming on Sally's face as well. Only Darcy seemed unmoved. Lizzie rolled her eyes at his sour expression before turning back to Caroline, who had, in the midst of the laughter, stood up to leave.

"William, I can hardly believe that these are the sort of people you associate yourself with. Goodbye."

Darcy stood, trying to be polite, but Caroline had already turned to leave. In truth, he had thought Lizzie's remarks to be humorous, but he felt like he should stay silent, since Caroline was his guest. While Darcy was quietly thinking, Lizzie stood and grabbed her bag. "Well, this was nice. awkward. either. I guess I'll be seeing you Monday, Darcy?"

Darcy looked up, "What? Oh, yes. 8am sharp." Lizzie rolled her eyes as she walked away. It was going to be a long week.


End file.
